1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to seals for cans, and, more particularly, to a disposable seal for the rim of paint cans.
2. Relevant Background
Liquid coating materials such as paint, varnish, adhesives and the like are commonly distributed in resealable cans that hold substantially uniform quantity. This method of distribution is intended to enable the end user to use only a portion of the can's contents for a particular project, then reseal the cans to prevent evaporation of the water or solvent carrier. In practice, the ability to reuse the can's contents and the time period over which the contents remain usable is greatly dependent on the ability of the end user to effectively reseal the can.
End users may paint with a brush dipped directly in the can or pour the can contents into another container or apparatus such as a sprayer or rolling pan. Dipping a brush directly into the paint can and then wiping the brush against the side of the can or pouring paint from the can results in messy paint drippings. Importantly, such common use results in the groove portion at the top of the can becoming filled with paint. If the groove is filled with paint, the paint will splatter when the can lid is replaced causing even more paint to drip down the sides of the can and onto whatever surface supports the can. When dried in the groove, the paint diminishes the integrity of the groove, making it difficult to secure a tight seal with the lid. Loose seals cause the water or solvent carriers in the can to evaporate rendering the paint unsuitable for use. Moreover, when the lid is replaced with paint in the rim, the lid will stick to the wet paint, thereby making it difficult or impossible to re-open the can for the next use.
To improve the end-user's ability to seal the can it is desirable to protect the groove or rim in the top of the paint can so that the lid of the can will be securely replaced after use. Protecting the rim eliminates mess and preserves the contents of the can for long periods of time. There are a number of prior inventions that seek to provide protection of the can rim with covers that are expensive and complicated in use and manufacture. However, painting is an inherently simple task that is best practiced with tools and accessories that are simple to use and inexpensive. A need exists for a paint rim seal that is inexpensive yet easy to use while simplifying the end-user's tasks.
To enable a user to dip a paint brush directly into the can previous can rim seals have been manufactured with a slot to guide the brush. This arrangement requires a good aim and patience to dip the brush while the cover is engaged and fail to simplify the painter's task. Other designs enable the user to pour paint from the can with the cover in place by providing pouring spouts on the cover. These spouts are comparatively expensive to the end-user with the intent that the end-user will reuse the cover. Can rim protectors by design become covered with paint and reusable designs require cleaning before storage for reuse. What is needed is an easy to use paint can rim seal that minimizes clean-up time and effort.